All Quiet on the Western Front

First published in German in 1928 and English in 1929, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is German veteran Erich Maria Remarque's semi-autobiographical World War One novel. The title of the original German is literally translated as "Nothing New in the West", but has become more commonly known by the title given by translator Arthur Wesley Wheen, "All Quiet on the Western Front". The story concerns Paul Bäumer, a German soldier on the Western Front during World War I. While on leave from the fighting, Paul returns home to find that while his hometown has remained unchanged, the profound influence of the war on his psyche makes him feel like a stranger who doesn't belong. Paul returns to the conflict, where he continues to deteriorate in both mind and body. Noted for its vivid and realistic portrayal of the brutality of war, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is no sentimental depiction of the glory of combat but rather a classic portrayal of how war robs young men of their humanity and hope for the future. Widely regarded as a classic of modernist literature, "All Quiet on the Western Front" remains to this day as one of the greatest war novels ever written.